1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of spare tires, and more particularly to spare tires that can be used without removal of the damaged or flat tire from the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
One of the most common, and often frustrating, maintenance procedures that a driver must perform is changing a flat tire. To change a flat, a driver must typically execute the following steps: 1) locate the jack in their trunk; 2) lift the vehicle with the jack; 3) remove the lug nuts securing the wheel; 4) remove the wheel carrying the flat tire from the vehicle; 5) remove the spare wheel and tire from the trunk; 6) position the spare wheel on the vehicle; 7) secure the spare wheel with the lug nuts; and 8) lower the vehicle to the ground. While the above procedure has been executed a countless number of times by unfortunate drivers, it is not without its drawbacks. Jacking up a vehicle can be a dangerous proposition for those not familiar with the proper safety precautions. Furthermore, manipulating the flat tire and wheel or spare tire and wheel requires a degree of strength and dexterity not possessed by all drivers.
Various attempts have been made to provide a substitute for the traditional spare tire. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,807 to Cummins et al. discloses a modular spare tire comprised of a plurality of lightweight T-shaped segments. While the Cummins et al. spare tire uses pieces that are lightweight and easy to manipulate, the original flat tire must still be removed from the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,400 discloses a spare tire that is torqued onto the outside of the disabled wheel through a complex hardware apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,032 discloses a two piece spare wheel that can be attached to a modified wheel via cap screws. To attached the second piece, a ramp is used to raise the disabled wheel. Other examples of spare tires for use without removing the flat tire include U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,978 to Fine and U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,394 to Lehtinen. While these inventions may all be useful for their intended purposes, there remains a need for a spare tire that can be mounted on a vehicle without changing the flat that is lightweight and can be installed with a minimum of tools and effort.